Nest survival of Woodpigeons (Columba palumbus) in North African forests

Abstract

Capsule The nesting success of the Woodpigeon Columba palumbus in oak forests in Morocco is affected by human disturbance and nest-site characteristics. Aims To determine factors affecting the nesting success of Woodpigeons subject to two levels of disturbance in a holm oak Middle Atlas forest. Methods Woodpigeon nests were monitored in highly disturbed (n = 30) and less-disturbed sites (n = 60) over two years (2010–11). Logistic-exposure models were used to estimate daily nest-survival rate and evaluate mechanisms (altitude, temporal factors, nest location, nest-site habitat and degree of human influence) affecting nest survival. Results Daily nest-survival rate was higher in less-disturbed sites (0.987; 95% CL: 0.980–0.991) than in high-disturbance sites (0.967; 95% CL: 0.949–0.978). Increasing density of trees surrounding nest sites and distance from the nest tree to the closest track increased daily nest-survival rate. Conclusions Less-disturbed sites confer better nesting conditions than highly disturbed ones. Management measures should control the access of vehicles, especially trucks, in the forest of the Middle Atlas and introduce a grazing regime that will allow the forest regeneration, which would improve Woodpigeon nesting success by increasing the density of holm oak trees.